Colic Risk and Late-Cut Hay
Clair Thunes, PhD
February 17, 2025
Can feeding hay cut later in the season lead to impaction colic in horses?
Can feeding hay cut later in the season lead to impaction colic in horses?
The large volumes of water pumped into the stomachs of horses with impaction colic can sometimes do more harm than good, according to Italian researchers.
Being well-prepared for colic could mean the difference between life and death for your horse. Here’s what you need to know.
A look at how and where impaction colic happens and what measures might reduce a horse’s risk.
Impaction colic is caused by a blockage that forms due to feed material obstruction in the large colon. Large colon impactions make up as much as 8-10% of all colic, but the cause in a large majority of the cases is not known.
This year’s annual meeting of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in Seattle, Wash., offers a myriad of educational opportunities for veterinarians and horse owners, and has a trade show that features new products and service
With a newborn foal, you observe a checklist of progressive behaviors: Regular breaths, ears up, standing, and nursing. Once the foal has survived these adjustments to life after birth, you’re tempted to sigh with relief (and go back to bed!).
Prompt diagnosis and treatment can ensure that a mild colic doesn’t become a fatal colic.
Despite what has been passed down through the years, it is acceptable for a colicky horse to lie down. Furthermore, it is considered unlikely that the horse will twist the intestines by rolling.
Because there are so many causes for colic, epidemiology can be helpful in determining those things that are associated with an increased risk of colic. In some cases, it also can help identify the cause.
Passing the meconium is, to me, the second-biggest hurdle a foal must overcome after birth–the first, obviously, is making the transition from the protected life within the uterus to life outside the uterus (breathing, standing, nursing).
The good news is that horses are naturally well-equipped to weather practically everything that winter can dish out. They are far more tolerant of cold conditions than we poor hairless humans are; in fact, horses tend to be far more stressed by heat
Disorders of the small colon make up a small percentage of the etiologies in acute abdominal crises in horses. Obstruction by fecal material, enteroliths, and meconium are the most commonly reported pathogenic conditions of the small colon in th
Final preparations will need to be made so that the newborn foal gets the best chance at life.
Colic is an equine problem familiar to all people who work with horses. Many colics are simply gas colics and can resolve themselves quickly with little or no intervention. In some cases, the home remedy of walking the horse or loading the horse
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